Feliz
/feˈlis/noun
A Spanish and Portuguese adjective meaning happy, fortunate, or joyful, commonly encountered in English in phrases such as “Feliz Navidad.”
Did you know?In Latin, the ancestor felix could describe a person, season, soil, or crop as “fortunate” because it was productive and fruitful—not merely cheerful.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
felix
“Happy, lucky, fruitful, fertile, or prosperous”
Late Latin
Latin
felix
“Fortunate, blessed, and favorable”
Medieval Spanish
Old Spanish
felez / feliz
“Happy or fortunate”
15th–16th Century
Spanish
feliz
“Happy, joyful, or lucky”
Modern English
English loan usage
feliz
“Used mainly in familiar Spanish expressions, especially “Feliz Navidad””
Explore more surprising origins